Article (Page 17)

Psalm 1 shows the blessed (happy) man is one who, among other things, meditates on God’s law (2). Later, the ungodly are shown to be the opposite of the godly (4). One of the differences would be their failure to ponder over God’s great truths.  Is meditation really important? Are thoughts? Remember that the material things that surround us, our houses, cars, clothes, etc., were first a thought before they became a reality.  God has blessed humans with a great…

Things were going great at first. In the first chapters of Acts, the church was growing by leaps and bounds, there were great open-doors for the people of God, and the future was bright in sharing the message about Jesus. However, beginning in Acts 4, the problems started for the church in Jerusalem.  By the end of chapter 7, there is the death of Stephen and by chapter 8:1, the church scatters. Note this, up until the church scattered, there…

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke to people’s concerns and worries in a way that we would do well to heed. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus had just affirmed the fact that we cannot be about serving God, and also serving the things of this life because “no man can serve two masters.” As He then draws His conclusion for His audience, the refrain becomes clear, “do not worry” (Matthew 6:25, 27, 31, 34). What things does Jesus tell…

Friends are a wonderful blessing from God – a gift given to help us become better people (Prov. 27:17). Yet they are only a blessing when we have chosen the right ones. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20). “Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). Therefore, we should try to surround ourselves with companions who are wise enough “to turn [you] away from the snares of…

 David asked two questions in Psalm 15:1. “Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill?” Important questions, to be sure. And, the way they are answered says a lot about those who are answering.  You could think about them in their original setting, David’s day, but they ought to be considered in a broader way in order to get the full benefit of them. The words “abide” and “dwell” suggest an atmosphere of fellowship…

We like to believe we’ve got everything under control. “I’ve got this.” “I don’t need anyone’s help at all.” “When I need your help, I’ll ask for your help.” It is a form of pride to say that when it comes to needs of togetherness and reliance on others, we need nothing. What a mistake was made that spring day of so long ago! What began as one king staying home alone in his own “fortress of solitude” ended with…

“Khandai Tripura, 35, of Chinchharipara village in Ramgararh district, Bangladesh, caught a cobra on 20 July and started playing with it. The snake bit him on the hand, and in his anger, he bit the snake’s head. He died in the hospital the next day. The snake also died. No word on whether they were buried together.” – Independant [sic] 22 July 1998  Why do people make the choices that they do? There are people we will invariably run across…

The word “heart” appears more than 800 times in the Bible. A few of the references actually relate to the physical heart. I Sam. 25:37 tells us Nabal’s “…heart died within him…” But, the majority of references in the Bible deal with the spiritual heart. Prov. 4:23 admonishes us, “Keep your heart with all diligence.” The spiritual heart is what motivates us to do what we do.  Think for a few moments about keeping your heart. It has to be…

 …is the sound of an alarm clock. I never thought I’d say it, but on the regular, I love the sound of this alarm. It makes my heart happy every time I hear it because I understand what it represents. Please know that I’m not talking about my own alarm clock. That is still an instrument of torture (in many cases), but this alarm to which I am referring is different.  You see, my oldest daughter has committed herself to…

Any time our culture talks about Jesus, God’s people have an open door to enrich the conversation about Jesus. As you know, during this holiday season, much will be said about Jesus that is inaccurate. These inaccuracies are not just spoken by the world, but by Christians as well. God’s own children, the “people of the Book,” even struggle to discern between fact and fiction concerning this pivotal, historical event.  May I challenge you to a short quiz? The purpose…

I’ve heard people say, “The hardest part is getting started.” I can see how that could be true in some cases.  Sometimes you have to overcome the inertia of thinking about something and just get on with the doing.  However, I think there’s also some truth to the idea that it can be easier to start something than to finish it. Every time we would drive to Dallas, we’d watch for an old house on the way that was started…

We cannot be certain who wrote Psalm 116. It would be easy enough to attribute it to David. But, we can be certain that whoever wrote the psalm asked himself a very important question. Here it is: “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (Ps. 116:12)  The writer, like the rest of us, had the ability to look at his life and appreciate what he knew had been given to him. Unlike some, who…